Lucas 6

Lucas 6

Trapp - Time and the storms of life will prove the strength of one’s foundation, even when it is hidden. We may be surprised when we see who has truly built upon the good foundation. “At last, when Judas betrayed Christ in the night, Nicodemus faithfully professed him in the day.” (Luke ) NET Note on the torrent - The picture here is of a river overflowing its banks and causing flooding and chaos. (Ed: What a picture of the fate of all unbelievers who will in a very real sense experience eternal chaos the derivation of which denotes a gaping void or chasm from the Greek word khaos which means ‘vast chasm or void’! What a tragic thought that souls created in the image of God will suffer an eternal existence in a void, one that is devoid of any meaning whatsoever except to demonstrate that God's judgment against unrepentant sinners is just and righteous!) Related Resources Rock of Our Salvation Christ the Stone Christ the Smitten Rock As the psalmist says "O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation." (Ps 95:1) Praise the Rock of our salvation! (Not best audio but singer's voice is spectacular) Praise the Father’s boundless love! Praise the Lamb, our expiation! Praise the Spirit from above! Refrain Praise the Rock of our salvation! Jesus’ blood avails for sin; Jesus, at the door of mercy, Waits to let the wandr’er in. Refrain Praise the Rock of our salvation! Catch from yonder radiant clime Strains by everlasting ages, Echoed back in tones sublime. Refrain Refrain Hallelujah! Hallelujah! He is God, and He alone. Wake the song of adoration— Come with joy before His throne! Rock (4073) petra feminine of the masculine noun petros) refers to a massive rock, a large expanse of bedrock or a great outcropping of rock. Vine distinguishes petra as a "mass of rock" from the masculine petros which refers to a detached stone or boulder, including a stone that might be thrown or easily moved. Jesus uses petra to refer to rocky soil in Luke 8:6, 13. NIDNTT writes that in classical Greek - petra means rock, a mass of rock, boulder, and stone as material; it is used as early as Homer for a symbol of firmness (Od. 17, 463), and from the 5th cent. B.C. onwards of hard-heartedness (Aesch., PV 2, 244; Eur., Andromache 537). petros, likewise attested from earliest times, means a (broken off) piece of rock, stone (lithos). A strict distinction of meaning cannot however be maintained: petros can mean, rock, and petra, stone (cf. Homer, Od. 9, 243; Hesiod, Theog. 675; Soph., OC 1595; O. Cullmann, petra TDNT VI 95; and Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr, A Historical and Theological Study, 19622 (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan) Petra - 15x in 14v - rock(10), rocks(3), rocky(2). Matt. 7:24; Matt. 7:25; Matt. 16:18; Matt. 27:51; Matt. 27:60; Mk. 15:46; Lk. 6:48; Lk. 8:6; Lk. 8:13; Rom. 9:33; 1 Co. 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:8; Rev. 6:15; Rev. 6:16 Christ the Rock of our Salvation - We place our trust in the Rock Who is Christ, so that He becomes our eternal refuge, "the Rock of our Salvation” (Ps 95:1-note). Then we like David can confidently declare “He ONLY is MY Rock and MY Salvation.” (Ps 62:2, 6-note) “The LORD lives and blessed be MY Rock (He is not a dead rock like the idols but a “living Rock” - "indeed their rock is not like our Rock" Dt 32:31-note) and exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation....Who is a ROCK, except our God?” (2Sa 22:47-note, Ps 18:31b-note) “Jehovah is upright. He is MY Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” (Ps 92:15-note) And so we must first confess that Jehovah (Jesus) is “MY ROCK and MY REDEEMER. (Ps 19:14-note) Peter explains that Jesus is "a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense" for all who are disobedient to (who disbelieve) the word (the Gospel). (1Pe 2:8-note quoting Isa 8:14-note) Only when the ROCK is also our REDEEMER do we possess Biblical hope--not a “hope so” but a "hope sure"--an absolute assurance that God will bring us safely through the storm of this life, will shelter us from the wrath to come [1Th 1:10-note], and will finally bring us to our eternal Home in the presence of His majesty and glory! May we all be able to sing David's song: “Upon God rests (depends) MY salvation and MY glory, the Rock of MY strength (“MY MIGHTY ROCK”-NIV), MY Refuge where no enemy can reach me.” (Ps 62:7-note) C H Spurgeon calls us to notice how David “multiplies titles for Jehovah, and in so doing he renders much glory and honor to the Lord, Whom he had tried and proved to be “the faithful God” (Dt 7:9-note, 1Co 1:9-note) in all of our various circumstances. Ignorance needs but few words, but when experience brings a wealth of knowledge, we need varied expressions to serve as coffers for our treasure. God Who is OUR ROCK when we flee for shelter, is also OUR MIGHTY ROCK (Ps 62:7NIV-note) when we stand firm and defy the foe. He is to be praised ("Praise to MY ROCK" Ps 18:46NLT-note) under both characters. Observe how David brands (as with a branding iron) his own initials upon every Name which he rejoicingly gives to his God-- MY Expectation (Ps 62:5KJV-note), MY Rock (Ps 28:1-note), MY Salvation (Ps 25:5-note), MY Glory (Ps 62:7-note), MY Strength (Ps 31:4-note), MY Refuge (2Sa 22:3-note). He is not content to simply know that the Lord is all these things. He acts in faith towards Him, and lays claim to Him under every character (the Lord's many titles). What are the silver mines of Peru to me if I have no inheritance in them? It is the little pronoun “MY” which puts the honey into the comb. If our experience has not yet enabled us to realize the LORD under any of these consoling titles (ROCK...of MY Refuge [Ps 94:22-note]...of MY Salvation [Ps 89:26-note]...of MY Strength [Ps 62:7-note, Ps 31:2-note]...of MY Habitation [Dwelling Place -Ps 71:3-note]), we must ask the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29-note) to enable us to be partakers of their sweetness. The bees in some way or other penetrate the flowers and collect their juices. It must be hard for them to enter the closed cups and mouthless bags of some of their favorites in the garden, yet these honey gatherers find or make a passage and in this they are our instructors, for into each delightful NAME, character, and office of our covenant God, our persevering faith must find an entrance, and from each it must draw delight” and like the bees we too might "suck honey from the Rock" (Dt 32:13-note) and come to experience that His "honey from the rock would satisfy (satiate)" (Ps 81:16-note) our deepest, innermost needs! The House on the Rock When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Luke 6:48 Today's Scripture & Insight: Luke 6:46–49 After living in their house for several years, my friends realized that their living room was sinking—cracks appeared on the walls and a window would no longer open. They learned that this room had been added without a foundation. Rectifying the shoddy workmanship would mean months of work as builders laid a new foundation. They had the work done, and when I visited them afterwards, I couldn’t see much difference (although the cracks were gone and now the window opened). But I understood that a solid foundation matters. This is true in our lives as well. Jesus shared a parable about wise and foolish builders to illustrate the folly of not listening to Him (Luke 6:46–49). Those who hear and obey His words are like the person who builds a house on a firm foundation, unlike those who hear but ignore His words. Jesus assured His listeners that when the storms come, their house would stand. Their faith would not be shaken. Lord God, I want to build my house on a rock. Help me to know that my solid foundation rests in You, with Your Word giving me wisdom and strength. Hearing and obeying Jesus gives our lives a strong foundation. (ED: I WOULD ADD "OUR ONLY FOUNDATION!") Luke 6:49 "But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." KJV Luke 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. heard Lk 6:46; 8:5-7; 19:14,27; Jeremiah 44:16,17; Ezekiel 33:31; Matthew 21:29,30; 23:3; John 15:2; James 1:22-26; 2:17-26; 2 Peter 1:5-9; 1 John 2:3,4 against Matthew 13:20-22; 24:10; Acts 20:29; 26:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:5 immediately Proverbs 28:18; Hosea 4:14; Matthew 12:43-45; Mark 4:17; 1 John 2:19 ruin Luke 10:12-16; 11:24-26; 12:47; Hebrews 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:20 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:46-49 The Ultimate Religious Decision - John MacArthur Luke 6:46-49 Why Obedience is Not Optional - Steven Cole Luke 6:17-49 Jesus' Teaching - Darrell Bock JESUS PREDICTS AND DEPICTS THE RUIN OF ALL PROFESSORS But - term of contrast. What is Jesus contrasting? The fate of hearers who are doers is contrasted with the fate of hearers who are not doers. As noted above, "doers" are not saved by their "doing" but they "do" because they believe and as genuine believers they have the supernatural power (the indwelling Spirit) to "do." Have you heard the Good News of Jesus and yet failed to truly believe it? Even more deceptively dangerous, is a profession of belief in Christ and failure to "do" or obey Christ! If you are in either of these categories, then take heed because Jesus is describing your eternal destiny in this passage. Run from the coming storm and take refuge in the Rock and "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved." (Acts 16:31+) the one who has heard and has not acted (poieo) accordingly, is like a man who built (oikodomeo) a house on the ground without any foundation (themelios) - Jesus uses the same simile to depict the fate of the soul who rejects the divine Word, leaving divine retribution as their only alternative. The house coming into a state of ruin is a figurative description of a false believer whose ruin will be great! Jesus of course is the Firm Foundation, the only Solid Rock of Salvation Who can withstand the coming judgment, the wrath to come (cf 1 Thes 1:10+), because He has already taken the judgment for sin on Calvary (Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed....the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him....the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, Isaiah 53:4-6, 10+). All who are safe in the Ark (so to speak) of Jesus will not be carried away by the flood of God's wrath and will not suffer loss and eternal ruin but instead will received an eternal inheritance (1 Pe 1:4+) and eternal life by grace through faith in Christ. How can we thank God enough for so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3+)?